Wolters Kluwer Health
may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed
to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Statement of Position

The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) is a clinician-based, professional organization of members, who treat individuals with wounds, ostomies and incontinence, and are committed to cost-effective and outcome-based health care.1 WOCN is dedicated to assuring the availability of appropriate care for individuals with wounds, ostomies, and incontinence, because patients deserve health care that assists them in maximizing their functional status. WOCN recognizes that to fulfill its mission of ensuring access to quality care to growing numbers of patients with wound care needs, there is a need to extend education to other providers. The WOCN recognizes three levels of wound care providers: WOC advanced practice registered nurse, WOC specialty nurse and wound treatment associate, whose scopes of practice will be defined. WOCN endorses the appropriate utilization of each of level of wound care provider.

History/Background

WOCN is a professional nursing society, which supports its members by promoting educational, clinical, and research opportunities to advance the practice and guide the delivery of expert health care to individuals with wounds, ostomies and incontinence.

WOCN believes that nursing as a profession enhances health care services to a multifaceted society and includes prevention, health maintenance, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation. Wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing is an area of specialty practice within the framework of nursing that strives to advance the health care and quality of life of all affected individuals.

WOCN believes that continuing education and research provide the basis for current, comprehensive nursing practice for patients with wounds, ostomies and incontinence. Learning may occur on a basic, advanced or continuing educational level and combines the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and clinical expertise. WOCN provides quality continuing education for its members and for other health care professionals to enhance and improve WOC nursing practice.

By a process of accreditation, WOCN promotes high standards of education and requires a minimum baccalaureate degree as the entry level for Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Education Programs (WOCNEP). WOCNEPS may provide a tri-specialty education program for wound, ostomy, and continence care and/or any of the specialty practice areas individually.

Wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing is a multifaceted, evidence-based specialty practice incorporating a unique body of knowledge to provide excellence in prevention, health maintenance, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitative nursing care to persons with select disorders of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and integumentary systems. This complex, interdependent specialty encompasses the care of all patient populations across the continuum of care and all settings of care. While serving in pivotal roles as direct care providers, managers/administrators, educators, researchers, and consultants, WOC nurses direct their efforts at guiding optimal patient care that improves the quality of life for individuals with wound, ostomy, and continence concerns and achieves positive clinical outcomes. WOC nurses can specialize in all three areas of WOC nursing or focus on one or more areas of specialization.

Pursuant to the 2009 Strategic Plan, as the first step in providing basic education to non-WOC nurse providers, WOCN has developed a curriculum that was predicated on the vision, goals, and objectives derived from the plan.

Major trends in the American health care system present opportunities and challenges for WOC nursing. WOC specialty practice is influenced by shifts in population demographics, legislative initiatives, and rising health care costs as well as patient safety and quality concerns. As the population ages, it is expected that ever increasing numbers of individuals will suffer from acute and chronic wounds requiring specialized skills to manage. In addition, there are increasing numbers of service personnel requiring expert wound care and a deficit in high level educational programs available to the Armed Services.

Conclusion

A description of the role and scope of practice for WOC advanced practice registered nurses, WOC specialty nurses and non-WOC care providers (i.e., wound treatment associate) has been developed as a basis for developing educational programs and to clarify the differences in the preparation, role functions and duties among the different providers.

Recommendations (Practice, Education, Research, Other):

Note: Practice limits are defined by each state and each nurse is accountable to practice in accordance with the specific requirements of the licensing boards in the state(s) in which he or she practices.